Shooting Lesson
by IamDragonFury
Summary: My 2nd Hetalia fic. Germany is caught off-guard when Italy comes to him, begging for him to teach him how to use a gun; though confused, the German, feeling that it would not hurt for his vulnerable ally to learn, manages to pull himself away from some important documents to oblige. Oh GOD, this summary sucks, I apologize.


Shooting Lesson

**/*\**

**All righty, this is my second Hetalia fic, but, my first one involving Axis characters; I have an idea for some longer, storyline fics, but, since I just started doing Hetalia fics, I'm just trying to play it safe for now and get a feel for writing these characters.**

Also, I'm not good with portraying foreign accent in dialogue, so if the dialogue doesn't seem "true" to the way the characters speak, I apologize. Fans know what they sound like, so I'm hoping they'll just know how the voices should be.

Now, story time.

* * *

It was an uneventful day for the Axis Powers, with Germany sitting at his desk, going over some important documents handed over by his boss. According to the papers there had been some odd disturbances in the atmosphere, as the various countries had been complaining about bizarre weather patterns and they were now in the process of investigating it.

However, as Germany sat there, looking over the pages, he started to get that classic feeling of being watched. He looked to the doorway and saw nobody, but, he could definitely feel the presence of another close by. He looked down and then back up again, once again seeing nothing; it did not take him long to get an idea of who was watching him.

"Italy," the German commander called, "I know you're there."

As soon as he said that, the Italian in question slowly stuck his head in the doorway.

"Ciao, Germany." he said meekly.

"Italy, if you want something it better be important," Germany voiced impatiently, "I still have a lot of papers to look at."

"I know." Italy replied.

"Come to think of it," Germany added, "didn't you have documents to look over regarding the weather anomalies?"

"I already looked them over," Italy said quickly, "I promise I did."

Germany looked at him dubiously, obviously not believing that Italy had actually done what he was supposed to have done.

"I really did look them over, I swear," the Italian affirmed, "the temperatures are reaching unnatural lows in Egypt, America is experiencing severe lightning storms, the Rainforests are becoming hail forests, it's been getting really hot in the arctic circle; believe me, I read the important stuff!"

"Okay, okay," Germany sighed, "I believe you, now what is it that you want?"

Italy wrung his hands nervously.

"Well," the fidgeting nation voiced, "I was hoping that...if you had time...maybe...you could...teach me-" he trailed off hesitantly.

"What?" Germany responded, unable to make out what his ally was saying.

Italy mumbled something incoherently yet again, making Germany groan impatiently.

"Speak up, Italy!" Germany ordered.

"Teach me to shoot!" Italy uttered tensely.

Germany was put off by what he had just heard.

"What was that?" he asked, wanting to make sure that he had heard his friend right.

"I want to learn...how to use a gun." Italy said awkwardly.

This surprised the German man, as the Italian had never put any thought into fighting.

"_You _want to learn how to use a _gun_?" Germany inquired, wanting to make sure he had heard his friend correctly.

"S-Si." Italy responded timidly.

Germany shook his head in disbelief.

"Since when-" he began to ask.

"I know it's not like me, but, please hear me out," Italy expressed frantically, "lately I've been feeling really weird and having disturbing dreams, I can't help but feel like something really, _really_ bad is going to happen soon."

His German friend looked on curiously as he listened to him speak.

"I know I've never been a good fighter, let alone a soldier," Italy continued, "but, if something bad really does happen, even though it goes against everything I know, I want to be useful in ways that doesn't involve me waving a white flag, I want to be able to help if I need to, Germany."

A stunned Germany glanced down at the documents on his desk once more.

"But, if you're really that busy," Italy sighed, "maybe some other time."

"Now, hold on," Germany voiced, "these," he laid down the papers in his hands, "aren't going anywhere, so, I suppose a quick shooting lesson won't hurt. It really would be a good thing for you to know anyway."

Germany's response seemed to put the Italian at ease.

"Oh," Italy said gladly, "thank you, Germany! I promise this'll go better than the grenade lesson."

Germany did not give a verbal response to that claim, he only rolled his eyes as he got up from his desk.

"All right," Germany said, retrieving his gun from his desk, "let's take this outside."

Italy happily ran from Germany's office and right into Japan.

"Ah!" a startled Japan gasped, "What are you doing?"

"Germany's going to teach me how to use a gun!" Italy replied blissfully.

He then quickly made his way outside.

"You're really going to let Italy-san handle a gun?" Japan asked Germany uncertainly.

"Ja," Germany sighed, "well, he wanted to learn, so I figured I'd teach him, plus, it would be good for him to know, just in case something happens."

Japan looked on doubtfully.

"Right," he responded, "well, good luck with that, in the meantime, I'll be at Greece's house, far away from possible ricochets and misfires."

The Japanese Axis member then fled the house.

Germany joined Italy outside.

"Oh boy, oh boy," Italy said eagerly, "I can't believe I'm finally gonna be able to do something useful in battle other than just running away!"

"Indeed," Germany replied, "just know, the actual shooting isn't all that hard, really, what you need to focus on is aiming."

He checked to see if his gun was loaded.

"It would be best not to use up too much ammo." the German muttered.

Italy got a closer look at the gun.

"You rarely use your own gun, Germany, even in battle," Italy wondered, "why is that?"

"When using a firearm you fire only when you absolutely need to," Germany explained, "you must make every shot count, and make sure that no bullet is wasted."

Italy nodded to show that he understood.

"You also have to remember," Germany said, "a gun is _not _a toy, you have to handle it _very _carefully. You must never point it anyone, unless you're in battle or any other situation where the life of you, or someone you care about, is in danger. All in all...you have to respect the weapon, because at some point, it may be your only lifeline."

"Right," Italy responded, then looked at the gun, "I respect you gun!"

"Watch closely." Germany instructed.

He aimed his gun at a dead, rotted tree several yards away and, with Italy watching intently, pulled the trigger. A distant thud, along with some debris falling off of the dead tree trunk, indicated that he had hit his target.

"Ah." Italy responded with fascination.

"Now you try." Germany said, handing over the gun.

Italy looked at the gun tensely.

"Okey Dokey." he replied uncertainly, taking the handgun.

"Do exactly as I did and aim for that same for that same tree." Germany told him.

Italy nodded, then turned to face the same direction Germany when he fired the gun, focusing on the dead tree his "commander" chose as a target.

"Okay," he sighed tensely, "aim...for the tree...aim."

Italy held the gun out, his hand shaking as he tried to hold his aim at the tree; he hesitantly placed his sweaty index finger on the trigger and pulled it. As soon as the gun fired, Italy gasped and started laughing anxiously.

"Why are you laughing?" a disturbed Germany asked.

"I don't know," Italy said, trembling, "I-I didn't know how to react exactly."

He looked toward the tree he shot at.

"Did I hit the target?" the Italian asked.

"I'm afraid not." Germany replied, scratching his head.

Italy looked disappointed.

"Darn," he lamented, "my aim sucks."

"Don't worry," Germany said, "it was only your first try."

He put his hand on the forlorn Italian's shoulder.

"Try again." he urged.

"All righty." Italy said.

Italy raised his hand to aim the gun again, and just like before, his hand was shaking restlessly.

"Stop shaking so much," Germany advised him, "that'll throw your aim off for sure."

"I'm sorry," Italy replied, "I'm just really nervous, plus my hand's really sweaty."

"Just relax," Germany told him, "don't be afraid of it, just hold steady."

He put both hands on Italy's shoulders and made him stand up straight.

"Straighten out your stance," he instructed, "and hold on tightly."

Italy did as he was told and gripped the gun tightly, though he still could not keep his hand from shaking.

"My hand won't stop shaking." he whined.

"Come on now, just hold it still," Germany said, "like this."

He then placed his hand on Italy's to help him hold the gun still, but as soon as he touched Italy's hand, both were hit with an odd sensation. The feeling was a mystery to Germany, but, Italy knew it all too well, it was nostalgia, as the situation reminding him of when he was little and at one time he had to show a certain someone (I think ya'll know who) how to use a paintbrush. Only this time, he was the one learning.

With that thought in mind, Italy was finally able to relax and hold the gun perfectly still.

"I think I got it now, Germany." he said calmly.

Germany, however, was still bemused by the strange feeling that came over him upon touching Italy's hand.

"Germany?" Italy spoke again, "You there?"

The German man then snapped out of it.

"Sorry," he responded disconcertedly, "go ahead and fire."

Italy did just that and this time he hit his target dead-on.

"Oh, yay!" he uttered joyfully, "I did it, Germany!"

"Ja," Germany responded, impressed, "well done, Italien."

Italy handed the gun back, happy with himself; however, he could not shake the unexplained feeling that had come over him when Germany helped him hold the gun steady. Nostalgia always made him feel calm, but, at the same time, kind of sad; though, this was not the first time he had felt reminiscent feelings of the past when doing something for Germany, and it disturbed him greatly as he was not sure why doing stuff with Germany reminded him of when he would do stuff with...

"That was great," Italy sighed, "but, we should stop now... ya know, because I don't want to waste anymore of your ammo."

"I wouldn't really call it a waste-" Germany responded.

"I'm going inside now!" the rattled Italy uttered.

Germany stood there for a moment, still baffled by what had just happened; it was not the first time he had felt such a mysterious feeling when doing something with Italy, but, he never could figure out just what, or why, it was.

"I wonder what's bothering him...and me..." Germany mused, "it must be the atmospheric disturbances."

He looked down at his gun and smiled feebly.

"Oh well," he said, "back to work."

* * *

Oy, this one was sloppy, I apologize, I got nervous writing this one, because I know this fic is pretty subpar compared to others I have read in the Hetalia FF archive. Some of it was meant to somewhat mirror the scene in episode 9 when Chibitalia was teaching Holy Roman Empire how to draw. I somewhat support the HRE = Germany theory, but I'm kinda stuck when I think about it, because, I can see how it makes sense, while at the same time I can see why it doesn't. But, it fascinates me, because it's one of those theories where I can find the evidence to back it up, but I can also find the evidence to discredit it. I would like so much for it to be true, however, it would not surprise me at all if it was not true.

Some of the shooting part to be, was semi-inspired by a personal experience of mine from a couple year back when my grandpa taught me how to fire a handgun for the first time; like Italy, as soon as I fire the gun, I burst out laughing anxiously, because whenever I see or experience something surprising and I don't know how to react, I just start laughing apprehensively because I don't know what else to do.

One last thing, any of my future Hetalia fics that have this **/*\** symbol in it indicates that it relates to previous or (in this case of course) upcoming fics, as things that happen or are mentioned in the fic, namely the atmospheric anomalies, will play a part in a big fic I am planning to hopefully write in the future.


End file.
